A Moving Sound

Sheng Dong or A Moving Sound is a Taiwanese music act consisting of vocalist/dancer Mia Hsieh, vocalist, bass guitarist and zhong ruan player Scott Prairie, erhu players Zheng-Jun Wu and Tang-Hsuan Lo, guitarist and zhong ruan player Hua-Zhou Hsieh, and satar player Yi-Chen Chang. They bring traditional music of Taiwan to a larger audience through a mixture of traditional and contemporary musical practice. After releasing thee albums in Taiwan, the group made their US debut on Motéma Music with a self-titled release in September 2011, which was compiled from their second and third albums.

According to Tom Pryor, music supervisor for National Geographic, "A Moving Sound is one of the most original outfits working in the world music arena today, an inspired marriage of Taiwanese traditional sounds and Western pop experimentation that forges an important new musical dialogue." The Public Theater called their work “an exciting new development in the progression of Chinese music, joyous, evocative and enchanting.

Their music was featured on Lonely Planet's program, Six Degrees.

Genesis
The group was formed in 2000, while Mia Hsieh was on a trip to New York City to study dance with Meredith Monk. She met Scott Prairie in the last month of her trip, and they began the group. Prairie was sent to Carnegie Mellon University to study horn, but changed his major to psychology. He returned to music via bass guitar while visiting Europe. The two married and began an ensemble infusing Taiwanese traditional music with Western pop and alternative sounds.

Tour
In 2011, Sheng Dong kicked off their North American tour on September 17 in Townsend, Maryland and continued on throughout October. This concert tour follows the recent release of its first North American album, in time for the 100th anniversary of Taiwan. · close